The trio from Algeria will officiate Haiti - Scotland, good luck to Ghorbal and his team!
Match 5
Group C
14 June 2026, 03:00 CET
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
HAITI - SCOTLAND
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal ALG
Assistant Referee 1: Mokrane Gourari ALG
Assistant Referee 2: Abbes Akram Zerhouni ALG
Fourth Official: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández ESP
Reserve AR : José Enrique Naranjo Pérez ESP
Vidéo Assistant Referee: Abdullah Alshehri KSA
Assistant Vidéo Assistant Referee 1 : Mohammed Obaid Khadim UAE
Assistant Vidéo Assistant Referee 2 : Fedayi San SUI
Ot fifa says technical issue was in Qatar Swiss
ReplyDeleteFIFA MEDIA:
Delete“During the Qatar vs. Switzerland match in the San Francisco Bay Area, a brief technical outage prevented the onside animation graphic from being generated ahead of the penalty awarded to Switzerland in the 14th minute. The issue was quickly resolved.
The workflow of the VAR was not affected by this issue and followed the normal procedure in checking the on-field decision. The lines used by the VAR to check the position of the relevant players did not show the attacking player to be in an offside position in either of the two situations immediately before the penalty decision.”
I'm against using kine technology is outdated and in tight decision can make mistakes
DeleteFoul threshold a little low for my liking from Ghorbal. A few soft fouls given in duels imo.
ReplyDeleteGhorbal loves a foul. On the one hand, he's fairly consistent, the YC was correct, and he's been in control. On the other, he's allowing next to no contact, the game has no flow, and I can't imagine Fifa would want that in a game much bigger than this
DeleteHe did this in caf too once the game physical he start whistling
Delete“Once the game physical he started whistling” sounds like good preventative refereeing to me
Delete45×1 foul given to the wrong team the holding start by defender
ReplyDeleteIt seemed mutual holding. I think arguments for it being given either way, very easy to see why the picture looked worse one way from specific angles. Defensive fk made more sense
DeleteNo budy the defender start the holding then bouth player hold each other .from the beginning punish the first who start the hold if the atacker didn't feel protected by the ref will push back
DeleteIrish commentary noting that alot of the 50/50 fouls are going to Scotland
ReplyDeleteGhorbal need to do better the game is physical . You need to give soft foul to the bouth team or keep play on .
ReplyDeleteThis game is such a scrappy and physical game. The referee is struggling to let the game flow and is whistling for theatrical falls and soft pushes.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but for me that first half from Ghorbal was pretty poor. Next to zero contact allowed and such a low bar has made this game pretty unforgettable in all honesty. No feel for physicality and emotion and too robotic in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI think his performance in the first half was acceptable, but he must take into account the standard for awarding fouls, because not every contact should be considered a foul; otherwise, the match will get out of his control.
ReplyDeleteMissed yc 59min
ReplyDeleteHe could definitely let more go and have a more flowing game with more risk, but if he’s going to call lots of fouls he needs to be strict with the management, persistent offenses, and cautions going along with it. Otherwise he loses the power of the whistle and fouls become a free for all, leading to the stop-start game we are watching. However, I’d be surprised to see a PO setup or PO caution in a World Cup game to be honest.
ReplyDeleteAs of the hydration break, 2 players with 4 fouls, 3 players with 3 fouls, several with 2. The players on cautions have 1 or 2 fouls each.
DeleteBall was clearly going back to Scotland there
ReplyDeleteI thought that too... Understandable the players frustrations, should have been dropped to Scotland
DeleteThe drop is for the last one play the ball
Delete@Adnane, it goes to who would have gained possession, if that can be determined. In this case, Scotland
Delete62 min ghorbal interfere with play
ReplyDeleteBy the 65th minute this match has had more fouls (35) than any other match so far (in 90 mins)
ReplyDeleteAlot of whistle less fluid play come on ghorball
ReplyDeleteGenuinely, Ghorbal looks like he’s sleeping mid game. No energy, just showing lazy arm gestures when players complain, and nothing convincing. However he has great for foul detection and positioning
ReplyDeletePossible handball
ReplyDelete73 min I'm sure the ball touch the hand of Scotland player
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a possible penalty for handball there
ReplyDeleteYes there is touch it was clear from back angle with slowmotion
DeleteIf there’s a touch that’s a clear handball for me, I can’t imagine why no review if there was indeed a touch…
DeleteAlso thought maybe handball watching it live, I guess connected ball confirmed no contact.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they late it go because the contact was minimal
DeleteFor handball, doesn’t matter if it minimal, if there’s contact there’s contact.
DeleteI agree from replay the ball touch the fingers so missed pelanty by var
DeleteAnd for the other incident in 78 min I don't know for sure if the ball touch the left hand was making the body bigger
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DeleteAnother handball 78
ReplyDeleteRed
ReplyDeletePossible red card here
ReplyDeleteHeel studs to knee high force
ReplyDeleteDefinitely red the fet very high to the knee
ReplyDeleteWhat keeps this foul in 95’ from serious foul play? A lack of force… not sure a yellow is enough here
ReplyDeleteWhere the var crew
ReplyDeleteWhat is the VAR doing?
ReplyDeleteEven make the safety of the opponent in denger
ReplyDeleteClear rc missed
ReplyDeleteI think the var crew is sleeping to key match incident was missed pelanty in 73min and red card in 94min
ReplyDeleteScotland have been quite fortunate with the KMIs here
ReplyDeleteWith this performance ghorbal will the first one send home
ReplyDeleteI would be very surprised to see Ghorbal on a second game in all honesty. A poor performance compounded by in my opinion a missed RC in 90+5' for SFP. Far too whistle happy and not allowing any degree of contact set the stall for a low tolerance and in my opinion very fussy and soft decision making.
ReplyDeleteI think it's more likely Ghorbal has played himself out of a KO match but I think it will take a lot worse than this to avoid getting a second whistle purely because of the overall strain on personnel.
DeleteThat said, I don't think you'll see Alshehri as a main VAR again. He had to be very low on the ranking list coming into this and if the penalty shout was legitimate, that's two situations where he failed to act. If that's true, FIFA can't trust him again in the top spot.
Overall an ok performance with one missed YC for H8. Not a red later on minimal impact in challenge. Enough for a low level second game for the Algerian
ReplyDeleteI kinda agree. A low level second game and no more would probably seem fair. And for me, clear and obvious excessive force? I get Fifa have a lower bar, but I find YC at least supportable/justifiable. I'm not sure the level of force is there, or at least not clear enough for intervention
DeleteSampaio empty the red card stack for the first match day? Be curious to know what keeps this from a red card by the referee and Is this one where either would be supportable that it’s not “clear and obvious”
ReplyDeleteWould have preferred a red card here
Noticely Poor performance from Ghorbal. Not good enough
ReplyDeleteNeed some clips of the handball and SFP (not given)
ReplyDeletePossible handball at 73’ and 78’ missed SFP at 90+5
Delete44 fouls in the game. A combination of too many soft fouls given and some clear YCs missed along with a missed RC and possible penalty kick. Not a great game for the crew
ReplyDelete73 min is definitely pelanty the ball touch the hand
ReplyDeleteAlright, I agree with you on the red card issue, but perhaps the VAR referee considered the contact to be minimal, meaning it was not with the full foot. Overall, Ghorbal’s performance was average.
ReplyDeleteMan there isno reason to not show red card the foot to high the sped is there the contact made with studio on the knee . Safety first and the player need to be punished for being to dengeroud
DeleteMan there isno reason to not show red card the foot to high the sped is there the contact made with studio on the knee . Safety first and the player need to be punished for being to dengeroud
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DeleteIt is clear SFP. You are incorrect, it was a well below average performance.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt’s not a red card. The contact is minimal without force. And remained in the reckless category. Both teams looking to stop the attack. Or like S7 constantly looking for fouls. Some of them down to safe refereeing. Have to wonder sometimes if some contributors have ever even blown a whistle. Bit over the top
ReplyDeleteI was A FIFA Assistant Referee, and I think it was 100% a red card. Also “blew the whistle” in my country at the national level, so I like to think I am credible. What are your refereeing credentials to be so critical of others’ opinions?
DeleteHigher than yours and it’s probably why u were an assistant
DeleteVery clear red card. The studs on the Scotland players heel make very forceful contact with the extended knee of the Haiti player. Clear SFP and a missed intervention. I would like to see a clip of the possible handball at 73 to confirm contact, if contact then a missed penalty and intervention. I am ok with 78’ not being a handball, I don’t think it’s a clear error. 44 fouls in the game and 2 cautions for individual fouls. Zero warnings or cautions for PO for the countless careless fouls that he called but never actually followed through with to adjust behavior and stop them from happening. Very poor performance from Ghorbal, would not be surprised if he is sent home, along with the VAR.
DeleteWhistlersmum: are you trolling?
DeleteNope, just looking at the game overall which was as in my opinion OK. Nothing more. One pen claim does t hit players hand, the other they will say the arm movement is in and perhaps there is impact by an opponent, Red is subjective, yes high but the force low. Had he red carded I would support, but it’s one of those ones could go either way.
DeleteAs a former FIFA Assistant Referee, I have to say the decision at minute 94 was an absolute travesty. VAR were complete cowards, not to ask for a review on a decision that is a red card 100 times out of 100 IMHO. Haiti can feel very hard done by with this decision. Imagine if Scotland had been playing Germany, France, Argentina, etc. You better believe this challenge would have been reviewed by the on-field official, and likely would have resulted in a red card. Countries who are not favourites are not only up against the fact that their countries do not have the populations to compete against the world powerhouses, but they have to compete against match officials who are afraid to make a decision that may affect the big boys’ road to later rounds. Certainly not calling Scotland a powerhouse, but IMHO, justice was not served (or at least attempted to be served) in this situation.
ReplyDeleteFor me a clear RC missed by Ghorbal. There has been a review of the situation by VAR, I can only guess why he did not call the ref to check it at the screen again. I have no idea why. At least one handball missed. And many soft free kicks for "maybe fouls" which destroyed the flow of the game. Absolutely no consistent foul detection. The worst performance of this WC so far.
ReplyDelete.
I guess keeping track of persistent offences can't be that easy for referees especially if fouls are spread about a team, but it would be good to see the number of fouls by each player in the match stats (for those without a yellow).
ReplyDeleteHahahaha. Whistlersmum You are a troll and a liar. Say whatever you like on here. Everyone will on here can see you are a fraud and will not put any value in your opinion.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm nope. But you are the one who started with your achievements to push your point.. Never seen that ever on this blog. I merely gave an opinion on the overall performance. Which was ok. This was a game between two teams looking to cancel the threat. Constant fouling which I’m sure when u officiated would have games like this. The referee becomes the focus for no other reason than the teams poor performance. He tried to vary the bar for fouls. And could have used the captains more but the majority of fouls awarded were low level and not worthy of a caution. The bigger countries tend to get more decisions because they have more possession and more the opposition make more mistakes. You imply the referees are biast which having as you say whistled in your top league u know not to be the case.
DeleteYou do make some fair points IMHO. First, I am sorry for being rude and abrupt. I dislike that type of online communication, yet engaged in it myself after getting worked up, which is hypocritical. So for that I apologize. Also, I agree that games like this - where neither team is really trying to play , and there is little flow and many careless fouls - can be difficult to set an appropriate bar for fouls, cautions, etc. Very tough for a referee to feel like he is contributing to an entertaining match without becoming the centre of attention. I also agree that in many cases, stronger teams will possess the ball more meaning that less capable / established teams will commit more fouls (as far more fouls are committed while trying to gain / regain possession). The only point I think I need to clarify is your implication that I feel the officials are consciously biased. I do not think that, and frequently defend officials who have been accused of “being corrupt” or “favouring one team”, etc simply because people do not agree with / understand certain decisions. At the top level there is a lot of pressure as you have to earn your next appointment, and I have seen some situations where officials - who are trying not to do anything noteworthy that may compromise that next appointment - seem subconsciously more willing err on the side of ensuring that an incorrect decision does not negatively impact the more established side. In other words, a mistake that negatively impacts Scotland would be publicly more noteworthy than a mistake that goes against Haiti. I was not stating that the official lacked integrity. In my opinion he lacked courage (and the VAR as well). I am just suggesting that it is possible that in their subconscious, they were more willing to caution than send off (on a decision that you yourself said you could support either way) because the backlash from the Scottish would be greater that from the Haitians. Personally, I think it is a red every day, and based on that, I was trying to ascertain what the referee’s motivation would be to talk himself out of showing a red card (or the VAR’s motivation not to ask for a review).
Delete👍👏
DeleteThe worst performance of the tournament so far! This includes the VAR team.
ReplyDeletePossible RC for SFP:
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/b58532
It's always about the same discussion.
Point of contact: red card. Extremely raised leg.
But very soft contact, and for this reason VAR accepted YC.
At the border of intervention, but the problem is that another VAR would have intervened and this is the issue we discuss after every controversial decision. It's hard to have objective criteria for all incidents.
I can just point out that Ghorbal needed two or three seconds more to realize the situation and this was visible, I think he thought about a less serious reckless challenge.
I agree with your assessment. It’s a very difficult situation when you consider the context of a World Cup match. The point of contact is clearly in the red-card range, but the actual impact is minimal, which means the effect on the player receiving the challenge is limited.
DeleteMy feeling is that FIFA is looking for a high-end yellow card for reckless play rather than a red card in this type of World Cup context. The challenge, however, is selling that decision to the public when similar incidents are judged differently depending on the importance of the match and the overall context.
@chefren
DeleteRed card with out doubt just focus in soctlund player he has no interest to play the ball once th throw was made he came very fast an before make contact he jump with high leg and contact with studs on the knee which is not protected. The red is must for making the safety of the opnnet in danger
@adnane intensity is a major consideration for SFP, you're seemingly arguing from emotion and trying to judge intent when you have to look at the criteria involved.
DeletePossible penalties:
ReplyDelete72'
https://streambug.org/cv/06f3ab
78'
https://streambug.org/cv/a7186b
It's a penalty in 73'. Ball changed direction, mandatory intervention, open arm. Possible to give penalty in 78' as well, clear touch but here one could discuss more about the movement player was making.
VAR not intervening at all in this game was not a good thing.
Bouth is pelantys the hand make the buddy bigger at least we can have one ofr for those actions. It's clear and obvious mistakes .
DeleteFor gourbal the first one is hard to spot but the second with correct position easy call.
In your opinion will Colina let gourbal stay or ticket for home already reserved
The ball's spin doesn't change in the 73'. Look at the last replay. The ball was already dipping. I still believe there is no contact there.
DeleteAs for 78', it's a gray area.
I am happy with both non-interventions.
Both situations are 100 % penalties for me. Plus the « only » YC instead of RC at 90’, Haïti should be very angry with Ghorbal chaotic performance. IMO, wordt refereeing from the start and end of competition for him.
Delete*worst
DeleteIn the first situation, my only doubt is whether there was contact. If there was contact with the hand, it's a clear penalty.
DeleteThe second handball raises questions for me, due to the distance and the speed of the ball.
Regarding the potential red card, I don't think it was a blatant error, although it seems more like a red than a yellow. I understand why VAR didn't intervene in this case.
I felt this was definitely the worst officiated match of the tournament
ReplyDeleteI think the potential red card incident and first penalty were probably 50/50 decisions. While the last one was probably a penalty.
The threshold for fouls was too low it felt every contact was a foul which really effected the flow of the match
Finally I felt Ghorbal seemed almost too relaxed he kind of stayed near the centre alot I don't think he communicated well with players
I think haiti would be probably be rightly annoyed with his performance at full time. For that reason I wonder will he get another match
First performance of the tournament for which we can say that was actually bad. IMO both potential penalty incidents were correctly dismissed, but missed RC and generally poor performance throught whole match
ReplyDeleteVIDEO CLIPS:
ReplyDeletehttps://files.fm/u/ksv7b3dak7
Some thoughts on Ghorbal after considering everything: On the general match itself without the CMIs, it was very stop-start and no flow. The teams it seems didn’t want allow football to happen, and were clumsy and uncontrolled. There were several instances where he could have allowed play to continue when contact was minor, but chose not to, I’m not sure why. But we as referees are given tools to deal with games like this full of careless fouls. They are warnings and cautions for persistent offenses. I’ve refereed several games with this exact problem, and it was a challenge, the mental load of trying to keep track of PO is a lot. especially when its not super obvious who the problem players are, and the fouls are spread across a lot of people. It’s led me to even look for aids to help me track it, like a smartwatch app or something, to no avail. I did this knowing that the VAR team does this for the referee on matches with VAR. So there is no reason why Ghorbal should not have punished PO, except for the fact that this is a World Cup game and generally that is thrown out the window, similar to the approach of “final refereeing” which I have particular disdain for and hate that it is accepted. If Ghorbal had issued warnings and cautions for PO with the clear message sent using body language and counting the fouls with his fingers, I think he may have had a chance of changing the players behavior.
ReplyDeleteOn the CMIs, I am still not sure if there is contact with the hand in 73’ but if the connected ball showed a spike on the accelerometer graph in the VAR room, this is a clear penalty. The one in the 78’ I actually prefer no penalty, his arm is low, he is moving it towards the body, he was marking a defender just before, for me this is a justifiable position. For the potential red card, my first reaction was red, and yes the force is not enough to seriously injure the player, there is still medium force used, and it is to a sensitive area. I believe he endangers the safety of the opponent. Also, the tight angles are at slow motion and don’t give a full picture of the force used and the clear disregard shown for the opponent, I would encourage you to watch the live angle. I think the VAR had some difficult decisions on whether to intervene. If there was no contact in the 73’ according to connected ball, then that’s fine, but I would have liked to see an intervention for the red card. Overall a very messy game. We have tools to help clean up messy games but none of them were used. It’s hard to be satisfied with the performance, it was an odd game and Ghorbal did not rise to the occasion, rather passive and unconvincing.